Circus for a Psycho
by 1seddiefan
Summary: The group comes across a group of circus performers, who still puts on shows, regardless of the zombie apocalypse. One member of their group ends up kidnapped and they have to go to the show to rescue them, before the grand finale. Will they rescue their friend in time?
1. Chapter 1

/N: I got the name from the song Circus for a Psycho by Skillet.

* * *

"What kind of people puts on a circus performance in the middle of the apocalypse?" Warren asked, looking at the black and white circus tent. It was in the middle of an abandoned amusement park.

10K noticed a red flier, took it off the chain-link fence and looked at it. "For one night only," he read. "Don't miss our grand finale."

Murphy looked over 10K's shoulder, "Who's going to show up?"

10K was a little surprised at the fact that Murphy bothered to get close to him while holding Lucy. "How the heck do I pronounce that name?"

Addy looked at it, "Com-completa…I think that's Spanish."

Vasquez looked at the name, "It says Full Moon's Circus."

"We should get out of here before they gang up on us and drag us to their little circus," Doc stated.

"Yeah, looking at that tent is making my skin crawl," Warren said.

10K looked at flier, "I think I heard about this circus."

Vasquez was a little surprised, "Really?"

"I think it was a newspaper. Said something about how the grand finale usually ends up with…" 10K paused looked at the others. "We should get out of here."

"Why? What's the grand finale?" Doc asked.

"It ends with someone getting chopped in half by a swinging blade. People thought it was just part of the show, but a few months later, it turned out that the dummies were actual human beings," 10K explained.

"That's…" Warren started. "Let's get out of here, before one of us ends up chopped in half."

"Yeah," Murphy said and 10K folded the flier to put it in his pocket.

* * *

A few blocks down the road, the vehicle they were using, sputtered and died on the spot.

"I don't like this," Murphy said. "I think it has something to do with that freak show of a circus. One of their performers probably sabotaged it."

Warren looked at them, "Addy and 10K, I want you two to go looking for a different car. Doc and Vasquez, you two can go look in the different direction for one. I'll see what happened to this car." Cassandra and Murphy hung in the back. Murphy to look over Lucy and Cassandra was just crouching there.

Warren looked under the hood and looked around. There didn't seem to be anything wrong, as far as she can see.

* * *

Addy and 10K walked down an alley. It was too quiet, _way_ too quiet. Addy didn't like it. There were no Zs rushing at them and there were no cars in sight. There was a bunch of Full Moon Circus fliers on the fences and there was graffiti above a dumpster.

She touched 10K's arm and pointed at the graffiti.

He looked at it and snickered, "Really? The Smurfs?"

"I know," Addy said.

"That one sure beats The Blue Shirts that used to hang out in the park before the apocalypse," 10K replied.

Addy arched an eyebrow, "Really?"

10K nodded, "Yeah and then there were the Los Locos."

Addy winced, "Those are bad. Not as bad as the Smurfs."

"Well, considering that they got high and were in high school too. You're bound to give your gang a stupid name," 10K said.

A few minutes later, something seemed to weigh down on them. The calmness of the town was making him feel a little sick and it wasn't the Anthrax coming back either; judging by Addy not looking sick.

"I don't like this," Addy said.

"What do you mean?" 10K asked and looked behind them. Nothing was there and he looked forward. He looked behind him again and then looked at Addy.

"Something seems off," Addy said. "Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," 10K replied. "Where is everybody and where are the Zs?"

"I know," Addy said.

10K had a feeling that it had to do with the Full Moon's Circus and took out the flier. He looked at it and there were names, in small black print. One name stuck out to him to the most.

 **Esmeralda St. Crow**

"Oh my god," he said.

"What?" Addy asked, looking at the flier.

"I know this woman," 10K said. He pointed to the name. His stomach seemed to be an impression of an ocean wave again.

"You do? Is she nice?" Addy asked. She noticed how 10K was looking a little sick and something told her that she wasn't nice.

"She's…" he started and someone's foot scrapped on the ground in front of the alley. He put the flier in his pocket. Addy held up her bat and 10K got his weapon ready.

Someone's foot scrapped behind them and 10K looked back. Where the Zs waiting for the right moment to ambush them?

The person's foot scrapped again, this time from both ends.

"I get one end and you get the other?" 10K offered.

Addy nodded, "Fine by me." They turned away from each other and went separate ways. They looked down the road, no one was there. Something caught 10K's attention and a cloth found its way in his mouth, while someone pulled him backwards.

Meanwhile:

Addy noticed a shadow and someone held a cloth over her mouth. She struggled, but the person was too strong.

She elbowed someone and the cloth pulled back. She needed to get to 10K and looked to see what was going on. One man was holding him back with a cloth over his face as another man held him.

She elbowed the person holding her again and another person rushed at her. She had dropped her Z-Whacker when the person chloroformed her and the person pushed her back into the person behind her.

The cloth was pushed over her face and someone held her arms. She kicked out, but didn't connect.

Her vision turned hazy, then gray, and then she blacked out.

* * *

Addy woke up in the alley and something was in her mouth. She took out a crumpled paper and looked at it. She unfolded it and noticed a flier for the Full Moon's Circus. She noticed a trail of fliers, held down by rocks.

Something didn't feel right and she got up. Her bat was leaning against the fence and she stood up. She grabbed it and ran down the alley. The fliers turned left and continued down the block, like a trail.

"Damn it," She said. Of course they would take 10K, he knew this Esmeralda chick. Was she a friend, relative, neighbor, friend's relative, a friend's neighbor, or was she a creepy weirdo that held affection for him?

She rushed over to where Warren was.

Vasquez and Doc already came back, without a car.

Warren looked at her, "Where's 10K?"

"It was an ambush," Addy explained. "We tried to fight them, but we got chloroformed. This was left in my mouth. I think they really want us to go to the circus."

"If it means that 10K is there, we'll go get him," Warren said.

Addy noticed that Cassandra was giving her a…hungry or dirty look.

"I think he's going to be part of the grand finale," Doc said, looking worried about the kid.

"You know, cut in half," Vasquez said.

"Should be interesting to see," Murphy muttered and the others gave him a dirty look.

"We're not going to let him get cut in half. Murphy stay behind with Lucy. Let's go rescue him," Warren ordered. She wasn't sure if Murphy will leave, or if he will listen and stay put. She decided to go with the latter.

They started their trek back to the abandoned amusement park where the circus was at.

* * *

A/N: This was the best that I could do for this chapter. I hope that I did it justice.

I got the Smurfs, Blue Shirts, and Los Locos from the gangs that hangs out in the park behind the middle school.


	2. Chapter 2

There were darkness, muffling, and 10K knew he was tied down. There was someone was lovingly touching his face.

 _Creepy,_ 10K thought.

The bind covering his ears was raised up a little, yet his eyes was still covered with the cloth. He was still gagged.

"So grown up," the woman whispered in his ear. She laughed psychotically.

10K shivered at the laugh. She always did that laugh and it always freaked him out, even when he was fourteen, before everything turned to shit.

She touched his bare arm and giggled, "So pale."

"Stop touching me you psychotic bitch," 10K said, but it came out muffled, due to the gag.

"What's that? I can't hear you baby-boy," the woman said.

"Esme! What are you doing to our prisoner?" A woman shouted.

"I haven't seen my son in four years!" Esmeralda shouted back.

"Son?" The woman asked, confused.

"He's adopted," Esmeralda replied back quietly.

His mom was a Latina, straight from Jalisco, to get away from the Drug War, she had told him. Let it be known that 10K was surprised that he wasn't going to darken like his mother and that he was going to have pale skin forever.

"I see, but from where I'm standing, it looked like you were going too…" The woman started, "Never mind."

"I would _never_!" Esmeralda shouted in horror.

"Yet, you have him tied down for the Grand Finale," the woman said. "Whatever."

10K heard her walking away and then he heard the snarling and growling of zombies. It sounded like a fence was rattling.

"Whatever to you too," Esmeralda replied. If he weren't blindfolded, he would've rolled his eyes. "This is going to be fun."

"To you," he said, but it came out muffled.

"What was that? I can't hear you," Esmeralda said and laughed psychotically again. He shivered. "Poor baby, are you cold?"

"No," he said, but again he was gagged.

"Suck it up!" She shouted at him, "Worthless kid! I took you in when your _real_ parents was beating on you! I gave you a home and gave you a mother's love, but how did you repay me! You and your useless father placed me in a mental hospital, like I was scum!" 10K could barely remember his real parents. If he thought back really hard, he could see two women, which was all. "What do you have to say about that?" She lowered the gag.

"Well, to be honest, with a laugh like yours…" 10K started and got slapped for it instead.

"Shut up!" She ordered and replaced the gag.

 _Well, that just happened,_ 10K thought and felt the blind cover his ears instead.

He wasn't sure what was going on and wondered when the others will show up.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls of all ages! Welcome to—"

Warren looked disgusted at the tent.

Cassandra shuffled alongside them, while Murphy stayed behind so his daughter doesn't get hurt.

Addy rolled her eyes, "Of course they think it's a real circus and full of people instead of us."

They ran ahead and opened the tent. There weren't anyone in there.

"See things you won't believe," a ring master said. "Come one! Come all! Have a seat and enjoy the show!" There was a wall blocking off the circle. "Don't miss the Grand Finale!"

"This isn't right," Vasquez said.

"I don't feel right inside," Doc said.

"See that ramp?" Warren asked, motioning to the ramp across from them. It looked the seats was blocked off.

"Yeah," the others said. Cassandra just panted in response.

"I beat he's somewhere back there," Warren said.

"How do we get back there?" Addy asked.

"I don't know," Warren said.

"Do you think this wall is bulletproof?" Doc asked, looking at the wall.

Vasquez took one shot and it didn't leave a dent, "These people thought these things through."

Meanwhile:

10K was still lying on the board that he was going to get killed on, possibly, if his friends were out there.

He heard Esmeralda singing to herself. She was singing Sweet Child o' Mine; but instead of a girl, she was using a guy.

Esmeralda touched his arm again, "You know. This might be your last night. Got anything to say?" She lowered the gag.

"Yeah," 10K said. "You're one crazy b—" The gag was shoved back in his mouth.

"Nuh uh, no any of those bad words." Esmeralda asked, "Anything nicer to say?" She lowered the gag.

"Why am I here?" 10K asked.

"Don't you see—?"

"No," 10K replied.

Esmeralda rose up the blind fold and looked in his eyes. "This is like a movie."

"Not really. This feels more like a cheesy but entertaining TV show instead," 10K replied.

"This is the part where things get good with a death looming on the horizon," Esmeralda said and laughed again. "You know one slight touch and _slice_!" 10K flinched at the spit that landed on his cheek. "Everything ends, not with a whimper, or a bang, but with a slice."

"You're going to end up killed or eaten," 10K said. "That's why you ended up in a cell with padded walls. You're one crazed up fruit loop. Dad and I thought you needed help."

Esmeralda touched 10K's cheek, "But I'm fine. I'm not crazy."

"One crazed up fruit loop that ended up in a padded cell," 10K responded.

Esmeralda smiled, "You always loved that TV show and cartoon." She kissed his forehead and put the blind back on. She gagged his mouth again and he shuddered. "Think about it. You're smart enough."

10K wasn't sure which one was crazier. Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter, Yang from Psych, or his mother?

* * *

"This isn't half bad," Addy said, motioning to the performers.

"I think they're all bat-shit insane," Warren said.

Vasquez looked at the tightrope walkers, the contortionist, the knife juggler, and the trapeze flyers.

"Hurry up and get this over with. We need to get 10K and get the hell out of here." Doc said and Cassandra snarled in response.

"Just wait," Addy replied.

A curtain went down and someone hit the window in anger.

After five minutes, the curtain went up.

There was something lying in the middle and a swinging blade was frozen in midair. It slowly made its way down, by swinging.

The ringmaster showed up, "You have ten minutes to rescue your boy. If not, I hope you enjoyed the show." He laughed and went backstage. The windows went down and they ran down to the table.

10K flinched when someone touched his arm and the blindfold was pulled away. Warren removed the gag and Vasquez touched the cuff holding him down. He pulled back when it shocked him.

"Great," Vasquez replied. "These psychos really thought this through."

* * *

A/N: Originally a two-shot, but it now has three chapters.


	3. Chapter 3

The blade swung down lower and for a moment 10K really wished he didn't end up in this mess. He really wished his mother was saner and didn't do this for some sick twisted entertainment.

"What do we do now?" Addy asked.

Cassandra touched the cuff on 10K's ankle and pulled back, apparently electrocuted too.

Warren grabbed the machete and was about to cut the cuff off.

"Wait," 10K ordered.

"What?" Warren asked.

"It's connected to that fence back there," 10K said. "The Zs will come out either way."

"Then there's the blade," Addy said.

"Don't remind me," 10K replied. That thing was slowly swinging back and forth, it was kind of distracting.

"Is there anyway to disconnect the electricity?" Warren asked.

"I think so," 10K said and looked at the cuff, trying to figure out how to remove it. He looked at the ground. "Did you look under the table?"

Doc started looking under the table.

 _Think about it. You're smart enough,_ Esmeralda's words echoed in his mind.

This was way to carefully planned out.

The blade now looked dull and seemed like it wasn't moving downwards. As if staring at it, made it move downwards.

"I think I figured it out," 10K said.

"What?" Warren asked.

"Why would they put me under a blade if it was going to cut me in half?" 10K asked.

Doc looked at him, "They're insane?"

"No. I think it's not intended to cut me in half. I think it's a distraction," 10K stated. "I think the real threat is the Zs."

"We better get out of here," Warren said.

"What about the fence?" 10K asked.

"Chance to take," Warren said. She cut off the cuffs and 10K rolled off the table. He landed in the dirt and stood up. He stumbled around like he was drunk for a few seconds and managed to steady himself. There was a beeping sound, like a countdown.

They started running to the exit; well 10K sort of flopped around due to blood rushing.

They made it to the stand when the windows rushed down and the zombies running to them. They crashed into window and snarled at them. Murphy calmly walked in, with Lucy and they looked at him.

"Did I miss it?" Murphy asked and noticed 10K. "Well, I see you saved him in time, boo." He handed 10K a folded in half piece of paper. "Some curly haired woman asked me to give this to you and then laughed psychotically. I don't know what it means, but she said that you would."

10K unfolded it and looked at it. He read in a monotone voice, "You figured it out. Good job. Bye. Ha-ha-ha-ha." He looked at the drawing of a crow dressed like a saint and read again, "p.s. think about it. Ha-ha-ha-ha."

"What is she laughing at?" Murphy asked.

"I have no clue," 10K replied. Considering his mother was insane, she laughs at nothing.

"Let's get out of here before they break down the window," Vasquez said. They ran up the steps and out of the canvas tent. They climbed over the fence and Murphy managed to climb the fence with one arm.

* * *

They found the vehicle they were using and Warren managed to start it. "At least they were nice enough to fix it," Warren said.

They got in the back, while Vasquez chose the front.

Addy smacked 10K's shoulder, "You never told me who Esmeralda Saint Crow is."

"She's my mother," 10K said. He sounded disdainful.

"She kidnapped her own son," Addy replied, surprised.

"Technically I'm adopted. She left Mexico to get away from the Drug War. Something is wrong with her, I don't know what. My dad and I placed her in a mental hospital, before the apocalypse happened. I think that worsened whatever it was that's wrong with her," 10K explained. Doc and Vasquez blinked at him.

"So, that curly haired woman who handed me that note was _your mother_?" Murphy asked, surprised.

"Yeah," 10K replied.

"Well, she did have a psychotic laugh," Murphy asked.

"So, why did she organize this whole thing?" Warren asked.

10K shrugged, "I think she was just quoting Psych."

"Psych?" Doc asked, confused.

"It involved a guy pretending to be a fake psychic. There was this arc with a woman calling herself Mr. Yang, who was insane. She kidnapped the guy's mom and strapped her in a car with a bomb. She said that she wanted it to kill his mom with a bomb and a bang. She was obsessed with the fake detective," 10K explained. "My mom might've gotten inspiration from the show and…the Harry Potter movies."

"Bellatrix Lestrange," Addy said.

"Yeah," 10K said.

"You were adopted?" Doc asked, "Like foster care adoption?"

"Foster care. All I remember was seeing two women arguing. One could've been a relative or neighbor," 10K explained. He never really gave much thought about it.

Addy muttered, "Or a wife."

"That too," 10K replied.

* * *

There was something that nagged at 10K.

 _Think about it,_ Esmeralda's voice echoed in his head.

He thought about what happened to him. It was weird.

"I think they didn't want to kill me," 10K said.

"So what was the big idea about kidnapping you?" Doc asked. "They're insane."

"I know that," 10K replied. "It's just…weird."

"That they brought up something that happened in the past to torture someone?" Murphy said, "Yeah, that's weird."

10K wasn't sure, "If they wanted to kill me, they would've done it already." He tried not to think about his mom creeping on him.

"What are you saying?" Warren asked.

"Maybe it was all thought out for my mom to spend time with me," 10K said.

"Yeah, putting her son's life in danger is such a good plan. Nothing sane about that," Doc replied.

"I never said that she was sane," 10K replied.

"How did you find out she wasn't sane?" Vasquez asked.

"Well, some of her actions weren't normal. I mean…it's hard to explain. I think she used to follow my dad around. I think she tried to capture a squirrel and she talked to herself a lot." 10K explained, "Including that laugh."

"I can attest to that laugh. That was psychotic," Murphy said.

They fell into a silence again.

 _Think about it,_ Esmeralda's voice repeated.

10K thought about and looked down the road. Why was there something still nagging at him?

He thought about his mom and then all of the stuff that he had been through. "Oh my god," he said in horror.

"What is it?" Doc asked concerned.

10K looked down the road again, "She's been following us all this time."

Vasquez, Doc, and Addy looked down the road.

10K winced, hearing his mother's psychotic laugh in his head.

* * *

A/N: I think I failed at this.


End file.
